Refrigerator water cooler



.J. C. MINOR REFRIGERATOR WATER COOLER Sept. 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1952 Wq/ [E INVENTOR. f nvo )fzmwflmrm flmz a am A True/v57;

Sept. 20, 1955 J. c. MINOR 2,718,127

REFRIGERATOR WATER COOLER Filed Dec. 12, 1952 2 sheets- 2 IN V EN TOR.

f. C M/A/O/Q A? T TOP/VEYS United States Patent 2,718,127 REFRIGERATOR WATER COOLER J. C. Minor, College Park, Ga. Application December 12, 1952, Serial No. 325,605 2 Claims. (Ci. 62-141) This invention relates to a refrigerator drinking water cooler, and more particularly to an improved water cooler adapted to be installed in a conventional refrigerator.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved cooler for drinking water adapted to be readily installed inside a conventional refrigerator, said cooler being simple in construction, being relatively compact in size, and operating to provide a substantial supply of cool drinking water at all times.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved water cooler for use in a standard refrigerator, said water cooler involving inexpensive components, being durable in construction, and having a large capacity.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view showing a conventional refrigerator provided with an improved water cooler constructed in accordance with the present invention, the water cooler being shown installed in the upper portion of the refrigerator.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the water cooler employed in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken through the water cooler of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a conventional refrigerator having the usual front door 12 and the side walls 13 and 14, the cooler unit of the refrigerator being shown at 15 as being disposed adjacent the side wall 14 in the upper corner portion of the refrigerator. Designated generally at 16 is a water cooler which comprises a rectangular housing or reservoir 17, thhe reservoir being of substantial height and being of substantially less width than height, as shown in Figure 1 so as to be able to be disposed against a side wall of the refrigerator, such as the side wall 13 without occupying too much shelf space in the refrigerator. The reservoir 17 is secured to the side wall 13 in any suitable manner, as by the use of a hinged bracket 18, said bracket comprising the respective leaves 19 and 20. The leaf 19 is secured to the side wall 13 of the refrigerator and the leaf 20 is formed so as to completely surround the reservoir 17, said leaf 20 being therefore of substantially rectangular shape. As shown in Figure 4, the leaf 20 may completely surround the reservoir and may be provided at its end with the hook element 21 adapted to lockingly engage the top inner corner of the reservoir 17. Alternatively, the member 20 may be made in the form of a rectangular loop adapted to receive the reservoir 17 and to support the reservoir in a. suspended position from the side wall 13 of the refrigerator. As shown in Figure 1, a pair of brackets 18 are employed, said brackets having their lower leaf members 20 spaced sufiiciently to support the reservoir 17 in a stationary position against the side wall 13 of the refrigerator.

Mounted in the front wall 22 of the reservoir 17 is the conventional spigot 28 which is therefore accessible from the front of the refrigerator when the door 12 thereof is opened.

Designated at 23 is a conduit which extends through the rear wall 24 of the reservoir and which is reversely 2,718,127 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 ice bent at 25. The conduit is then formed with the plurality of coils 26 arranged coaxially around a longitudinal axis, relative to the reservoir 17 the end of the conduit, shown at 27 being open and depending into the lower portion of the reservoir.

The rear wall of the refrigerator is formed with a suitable aperture through which the conduit 23 extends, said conduit being connected to the drinking water supply source.

In operation, the water flows into the reservoir 17 through the conduit 23 and its coils 26, the water substantially filling the reservoir 17. The water in the reservoir 17 is thus cooled, and the reservoir therefore provides a readily available source of cold drinking water which is automatically replenished whenever water is drawn from the reservoir through the spigot 28. The provision of the coils 26 provides a means of gradually precooling the water as it enters the reservoir, since the supply of water must pass through the coils 26 for emptying into the reservoir to the open depending rear end 27 of the conduit 23.

While a specific embodiment of an improved water cooler for a refrigerator has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a refrigerator, a water cooler comprising a reservoir for water, means securing said reservoir to the inside surface of a side wall of a refrigerator, a multiply coiled conduit disposed in said reservoir, said conduit being coiled along an axis extending from the back wall toward the front wall of the reservoir, the forward end of the conduit being bent back rearwardly and extending through the coiled conduit, through the back wall of the reservoir, and through the wall of the refrigerator, said conduit end being adapted to be connected to the water supply, the rear end portion of the conduit extending downwardly and opening into the rear portion of the reservoir, whereby water passing through the conduit is precooled, and a spigot mounted in the front wall of the reservoir and being accessible from the front of the refrigerator, whereby the water from the rear portion of the reservoir must flow forwardly along the coiled conduit in order to be discharged from said spigot.

2. In a refrigerator, a water cooler comprising a reservoir for water, means securing said reservoir to the inside surface of a side wall of the refrigerator, a multiply coiled conduit disposed horizontally and longitudinally in said reservoir between the front and back walls thereof, said conduit being coiled along an axis extending from the back wall toward the front wall of the reservoir, the conduit being open at its rear end, said rear end extending downwardly and being located adjacent the rear wall of the reservoir, and the forward end of the conduit being bent rearwardly and extending axially through the coils and through the rear wall of the reservoir, said rearwardly bent end extending through the rear wall of the refrigerator and being adapted to be connected to the water supply, and a spigot mounted in the front wall of the reservoir and being accessible from the front of the refrigerator, whereby water passing through the conduit is precooled in the coils thereof, is discharged into the reservoir at the rear portion of said reservoir, and must flow forwardly along the coiled conduit in order to be discharged from said spigot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pinkerton Nov. 20, 1928' 

